Tricycle specially applicable for invalids or the like.



J. F. HOUGH.

TRICYCLE SPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR INVALIDS 0R THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov,zo.1917.

Patented June 18, 1918.

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JAMES FRANCIS HOUGH, 0F SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND.

TRICYCLE SPECIALLY APPLICABLE FOR INVALIDS OR THE LIKE.

Application led November 20, 1917.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, JAMES FRANcIs HoUGi-I, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, and a resident of Southport, England, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in .Tricycles Specially Applicablefor Invalids or the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tricycles for the use ofinvalids or the like of that type in which the tricycle is provided withtwo front wheels and a smaller rear wheel by means of which the tricyclesteered, the front wheels being driven by hand and the seat carriage orthe like for the rider being supported between the front driving wheels.

According to this invention the frame comprises a main backboneconnected to the head of the fork of the rear wheel depending down andpassing centrally along the machine where it is joined to a transversetube coupling across the inner members of both front forks. The backboneis reinforced by an upper neck rail coupling the top of the rear head toa part of the back bone about the rear of the front wheels where it isconnected to the backbone by a short vertical stay. The front wheels arecarried in single vertical forks, from the heads of which curved railspass around the peripherics of the front wheels to points below thebackbone, these lowest extremities of the curved rails being joinedacross by a transverse rail, a short vertical stay rail connecting thetransverse rail to the backbone at its central point. This constitutesthe main framework of the machine. A distention rail is provided acrossthe lower eX- tremities of the front forks, this distention rail beingdetachable; and in order to carry the seatingl accommodation, shortcross bars are'provided, the rear cross bar being supported from-theneck tube and the front cross bar from a short vertical stay at theforward end of the backbone. Means in addition to the backrest are alsoprovided such as a hand-lever nivotally carried from the lower reartransverse rail.

The invention is illust-rated in the accompanying drawings in whichFigure 1. is a perspective view of the frame, lig. 2. being a detailview of the distention rail, and Fig. 3. a detail of the steering lever.

.in carrying out the invention the frame Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented inne 13, 1913.. Serial No. 203,026.

comprises a main backbone 1, connected to the head 2 of the forks 3 ofthe rear wheel a, this backbone depending down at 1a, and passingcentrally along the machine and being joined at 5 to a transverse tube6, coupling across the inner members of both front forks 7. The backbone1 is reinforced by an upper neck rail 8 coupling` the top of the rearhead 2 to the backbone 1 at about the rear of the large front wheels 9,the neck rail being` connected to the backbone by a short `vertical stay10. The front wheels 9 are carried in single vertical forks 7 from theheads 11 of which curved rails 12 pass around the peripheries of thefront wheels 9 to points below the backbone 1, these lower extremitiesof the rails 12 being joined across by a transverse rail 13, a shortvertical stay 14? connecting the rail 13 to the backbone 1.

In order to prevent racking of the front forks 7 a distension rail 14 isprovided detachably connecting across the lowest eX- tremities of theinner members of the front forks 7. This distension rail is providedwith lugs 15 at each end, one lug having a perforation 16 taking overthe axle end at one side and the other lug having a slot 17 to engagethe axle of the other wheel, the distension rail being held by nuts. Theseating accommodation which may be an ordinary seat, a bath chair typeof receptacle, or otherwise, is not carried on a seat pillar or pillarsas usual, but on short cross bars 18, 19, the rear cross bar 18 beingsupported from an extension of the upper neck tube S from the pointwhere it is connected to the backbone 1 and the fro it cross bar 19being supported by a short vertical. stay from the forward end of thebackbone. Such an arrangement provides an extremely lrigid means forsupporting the seat or the ike.

In addition to the usual means for steering such trlcycles whichconsists in providing the spindle of the rear `forks with a paddedbaekpiece 20 by pressing on which Yat either side the rider controls thesteering, a hand lever 23 is provided, pivotally carried at 24k from thelower rear transverse rail 13, such lever passing up conveniently at oneside of the seating accommodation and being coupled by a link 25 to anarm 26 carried from the rear forks. By operating the hand lever,therefore, the reary forks may be swung angularly in the head 2, and thesteering of the tricycle controlled additionally to the usual controlexerted by the pressure of the back of the rider. rI`his hand lever 23may be detachably connected to the lower transverse rail by pivotallymounting it on a short angle bracket, the threaded stem of which ispassed through two curved saddlel pieces disposed on either side of therear transverse rail and through perforations in opposite sides of therail, a nut on the eXtreme end of the threaded stem gripping the saddlepieces about the transverse stay against a fixed shoulder on the stem.The threaded stem may be provided with a flat or flats and theperforations in the saddle pieces and the lower transverse rail shapedto correspond, thus preventing twisting of the bracket in its socket.

By eliminating the usual horizontal forks connecting the aXles of thefront wheels to the lower point of the curved rails 12, and providingthe framework with vertical forks 7 only, a considerable economy andsimplicity in construction is achieved. The front wheels 9 are driven byseparate handles 21 and chains and sprockets 22, and if desired, thechain drive may be only at one side, a double crank handle between theheads 0f the front forks being provided in place of the separate handles21 and in this case an ordinary loose trailer wheel could be fitted inthe forks at the opposite side of the machine to that on which the chaindrive is arranged.

I claim:

1. A hand driven tricycle comprising in combination, single verticalforks carrying the large front wheels, a separate driving handle foreach front fork, a transverse rail connecting the inner members of thefront forks, curved rails passing around the peripheries of the frontwheels to the heads of the front wheel forks, a second 'rear transverserail Connecting the rear ends of the curved rails, a main backboneconnected to the transverse rails and to the forks of the rear wheel,said rear forks, and a back rest carried from the rear forks by means ofwhich the tricycle is steered.

2. A hand driven tricycle comprising in combination, single verticalforks carrying the large front wheels, a separate driving handle foreach front fork, a transverse rail connecting the inner members of thefront forks, a detachable distention bar coupling across the lowestextremities of the front forks curved rails passing around the peripheries of the front wheels to the heads of the front wheel forks, asecond rear transverse rail connecting the rear ends of the curvedrails, a main backbone connected to @epica et this patent may beebtained'ror the transverse rails and to the forks of the rear wheel,said rear forks, and a back rest carried from the rear forks by means ofwhich the tricycle is steered.

3. A hand driven tricycle comprising in combination, single verticalforks carrying the large front wheels, a separate driving handle foreach front fork, a transverse rail connecting the inner members of thefront forks curved rails passing around the peripheries of the frontwheels to the heads of the front wheel forks, a second rear transverserail connecting the rear ends of the curved rails, a main backboneconnected to the transverse rails and to the forks of the rear wheel, aneck tube reinforcing the rear of the backbone and connected to the rearforks, said rear forks, and a back rest carried from the rear forks bymeans of which the tricycle is steered.

4. A hand driven tricycle comprising in combination, single verticalforks carrying the large front wheels, a separate driving handle foreach front fork, a transverse rail connecting the inner members of thefront forks curved rails passing around the peripheries of the frontwheels to the heads of the front wheel forks, a second rear transverserail connecting the rear ends of the curved rails, a main backboneconnected to the transverse rails and to the forks of the rear wheel, aneck tube reinforcing the rear of the backbone and connected to the rearforks, said rear forks, short cross bars for carrying the seatingsupported from the backbone and from the neck tube, and a back restcarried from the rear forks by means of which the tricycle is steered.

5. A hand driven tricycle comprising in combination, single verticalforks carrying the large front wheels, a separate drivinghandle for eachfront fork, a transverse rail connecting the inner members of the frontforks curved rails passing around the peripheries of the front wheels tothe heads of the front wheel forks, a second rear transverse railconnecting the rear ends of the curved rails, a main backbone connectedto the transverse rails and to the forks of the rear wheel, said rearforks, a back rest carried from the rear forks by means of which thetricycle is steered, and an additional steering handle pivotally carriedfrom the rear transverse rail and linked to an arm on the rear fork.

In testimony'whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES FRANCIS HOUGH.

Witnesses:

A. J. DAvres, ESTHER HEGINBOTHAM.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latentn.

Washington, D.

